Ahem. I’ve known for some time that poets J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian are both crazy. Crazy talented, that is.
Ebullient wizards of comedic timing and wordplay, these two pun meisters should be arrested for having way too much fun. Having tickled the funny bones of kids everywhere for decades, they’ve each published dozens of award winning books that celebrate the many wonderful possibilities of poetry. Such joy! Such cleverness! Such vigorous versifying! Veddy veddy good.
Now, a new book by either one of these beloved poets is a real treat, but having them write a book together is like having your cake and eating it two, three, maybe five thousand times. In Poem-Mobiles: Crazy Car Poems (Schwartz & Wade, 2014), Mr. Lewis and Mr. Florian have set their engines at full throttle, pulling out all the stops when it comes to inventing 21 crazy dazy cars of the future.
But someday our fantastic cars
Might look like cool dark chocolate bars,
Banana splits, hot dogs or fish —
Or any kind of ride you wish.
We’ll get to those chocolate bars in a minute, but for now, consider a paper car that you can shred if it breaks down, a bathtub car that keeps you clean while you drive around, a rubber band car that bounces along the road. Feel like hoofing it? I’d love to ride the high-heel car just so I can honk the shoehorn. And get a load of the Sloppy-Floppy Nonstop-Jalopy — a veritable museum on wheels complete with a salad bar. Whatever these poets are havin’ for lunch, please gimme some.
Another person who should be arrested for OD-ing on fun is illustrator Jeremy Holmes. His wildly imaginative depictions of these free-wheeling vehicles meld steampunk, comic book, and surrealism with a touch of around-the-world-in-eighty-days. You gotta love an artist who adds his own comic touches with speech bubbles, strategically placed mustaches, even that uber cool word “Gad-Zooks” just because he wants to. Prepare to have your mind blown with his glorious, expansive, fetchingly curious attention to detail. Each of his pictures is a poem in itself.
Which is to say, combine these witty, high octane verses with amazing, fully-realized art and you’re in for a thoroughly entertaining, fanciful ride. Kids and kids-at-heart will want to make up their own hybrid automobiles, whether they choose to go eeeelectric or with fossil fuel.
Now, while I’m pumped up about all the poems in this book, I must admit to being a teensy bit partial to the food poem-mobiles (big surprise). So today, I’m sharing “The Egg Car,” “Hot Dog Car,” and “The Banana Split Car.”
Are you ready to motorize your metaphors and take these babies for a spin? Vvvrrroom!
* * *
THE EGG CAR
The egg car doesn’t need a wheel —
You roll it down the street.
Just plop on top from stop to stop
And steer it with your feet.
Make no mistake: there is no brake —
You slow down with your legs.
Or else you’ll crash, most likely smash,
And sit in scrambled eggs.
© 2014 Douglas Florian
* * *
HOT DOG CAR
My hot dog car is lots of fun
And comes with relish on a bun.
It runs on tons of sauerkraut
Or mustard when you’ve just run out.
Enjoy its fine and fragrant smell.
Its color has no parallel.
My hot dog car —
You just can’t beat it.
And when you’re done
You simply eat it.
© 2014 Douglas Florian
* * *
THE BANANA SPLIT CAR
That’s not brown paint,
It’s chocolate fudge.
And here and there,
A whipped-cream smudge.
The light on top’s
A real cherry!
They sell this car
At Motor Dairy —
This Model T(spoon’s)
One sweet deal.
Besides, it’s got
Bananappeal!
© 2014 J. Patrick Lewis
* * *
Not only does Mr. Cornelius like the idea of cars that look like cool dark chocolate bars, he wants them to actually be chocolate bars. So, with the help of fun-size Milky Ways, M&M’s, and a dozen of his closest Teddy Graham friends, we created candy cars to chew on while you’re reading Poem-Mobiles.
We used Wonka Chewy Sprees (main ingredient: fun) for the steering wheels, and dipped a chopstick into some melted chocolate to stick things on. Any cars breaking the speed limit were immediately consumed. (We didn’t eat any of the drivers; we’re not cannibals.)
Mr. Cornelius gives this book a rousing 4 paws up, and he loves the three wild and crazy guys who created it. Think they’re runnin’ on a full tank? Well, neither is he. 🙂
* * *
POEM-MOBILES: Crazy Car Poems
written by J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian
illustrated by Jeremy Holmes
published by Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House, 2014
Poetry Picture Book for ages 4-8, 40 pp.
**Starred Review from Publishers Weekly**
***Check out this 7-Imp Interview with Jeremy Holmes to see more of his incredible art, including many drawings and final spreads from Poem-Mobiles.
* * *
Teacher Librarian, Poet and Photographer Jone MacCulloch is hosting today’s Roundup at Check It Out. Rev your engines and zoom over to sample all the cool poetic offerings being served up in the blogosphere this week.
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*Interior spreads from Poem-Mobiles posted by permission of the illustrator, text copyright © 2014 J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian, illustrations © 2014 Jeremy Holmes, published by Schwartz & Wade Books. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2014 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.
Jama's Alphabet Soup 
Oh this is carloads of fun! Doug Florian and J. Patrick Lewis are my heroes- and Jeremy Holmes’s illustrations are a perfect addition! I need to get myself a copy- maybe an autographed one? 🙂
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This was the first time I had seen Jeremy’s art — totally blew me away! You definitely need to get a copy :)!
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A thousand thanks, milady, for featuring our Poem-mobiles today on your marvelous blog. You are les tops, Jama!
xo, Pat
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Thank YOU, Pat!
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These are adorable, and I love Douglas Florian! Obviously I have to check this out!
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Florian and Lewis = dynamic duo. You will love this book. 🙂
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My library doesn’t have it (yet). Boo! I’m formally requesting it!
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I have never seen this delightful book reviewed with such relish… I think that hot dog car must have rubbed off on you. Do you do birthday parties?
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Only if Colin Firth will jump out from the cake.
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Many thanks, Jama for featuring our Poem-mobiles on your blog and for creating such a delectable critique.
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You are the best! Thanks again for sharing the spreads :).
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Those treats look adorable and I want that book how fun! I’ve only just ordered Smile Depot. So much fun poetry about. Thanks for sharing Jama!
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You’ll really enjoy this one, Catherine. Dare I say, it’s a gas!
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Great post, Jama. You’re fun. Can’t wait to read POEM MOBILES.
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Thanks, Monica!
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I love this book too Jama. It’s one of my favorite poetry books of the year. Your posts are so much fun.
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It’s one of my faves too, Margie. The text and art are perfection.
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I just ordered this book. Thanks for the cute chocolate cars just in time for one of my grandkids birthday party!
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Yay! Glad you ordered it. Have fun making the chocolate cars. 🙂
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Oh Jama, This is just too much fun. The poetry is wild, crazy fun but the car treats are fantastic. I’m off to thwe store to buy M&M’s Snickers and Teddygrams. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
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I spy a chocoholic! Have fun making the candy cars, Joy :).
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I can’t wait to pick up this book for my niece and nephew. The “Sloppy Floppy Non-Stop Jalopy” sounds brilliant and the illustrations look amazing!
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Jeremy did such a bang up job of bringing all these poem mobiles to life. Your niece and nephew will have fun reading all the poems aloud and poring over the pictures.
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These poems remind me of seeing the Oscar Meyer wienermobile as a kid. My classroom nickname is Bears, so I have my first craft idea for next year. Thanks, Jama!
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Great class nickname! Mr. Cornelius is thrilled :). You’re lucky — I’ve never seen the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile in person. The hot dog car does remind me of that too.
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Omg, Jama–I don’t care one whit about cars, but I do care about clever car poems and even more about the impossibly cute chocolate bar cars with M&M wheels. We shall be making those in kindergarten next year. Or maybe I’ll just eat my son’s birthday Butterfingers which are lurking unprotected in the cupboard!
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Fun project for the munchkins — trickiest part is pushing the teddy graham into the candy bar without splitting it apart too much. I just melted some chocolate chips to “glue” on the M&M’s and steering wheels.
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I finally succumbed to the craving I’ve had since the weather turned summery–a grilled hot dog–so the hot dog car poem really tickled my fancy!
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Grilled dogs are synonymous with summer.
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I agree that JPL + DFlorian = All Kinds of Wonderful! But the candy cars…that just takes the whole show to another (delicious) level!
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The concept of the chocolate car was right there in the Introductory poem thanks to JPL — couldn’t pass up on that opportunity. 🙂
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I can’t tell who enjoyed this post more – you, or Mr. Cornelius. Or all us readers who get to motor through these sneak peeks! Congrats and Bravo to the creators (crazy talented for each of them is right), and thanks for sharing! Vroooommmmm….
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Fun is the operative word — glad you enjoyed the post, Robyn :).
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This post deserves a lot of exclamation points! Would love a car I could eat when I arrive! Charming illustrations! 🙂
Your chocolate teddy cars are too much! Also, that photo of Benedict Cumberbatch!
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Wow! Thanks for all the !!!!!!! 🙂
You are the best !!!!!!
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The most delicious critique I’ve read. My, the chocolate cars and the drivers…how can you eat them?
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No problem eating the cars, but we don’t eat the drivers. 🙂
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I’m just now catching up on your last few blog posts, and my goodness I almost forgot how delightful they are! The poems made me chuckle, and I love all of the creative treats you make 🙂
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Thanks for reading, Alina! Glad you enjoyed the posts. 🙂
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